Many people who market things online used to think that SEO and social media were separate. But if you want your online marketing to do well, you gotta make them work together. That means using social media to help your content get found on search engines. Your social media profiles aren’t just for showing off – they’re also helpful for making sure more people can find your brand when they search online. So, when you post content, think about how it can help your social media for SEO too!
No matter how hard you try to provide the best service possible to your customers, there will be times when negative feedback can appear in search results about your brand. You can’t rely solely on your website to push those negative results to the bottom of search engine results pages (SERPs); you need backup and that backup can come from your social profiles. Together with your web content, you can work to make your social profiles dominate search results relevant to your brand. This way, you reduce the risk of negative results showing up on the first page.
So, how do you make your social profiles dominate search results? Why, you need to optimize them, of course! How exactly do you optimize social profiles? Read on for some valuable tips.
Branded Optimization
Making sure your social media pages show up high when people search for your brand name is crucial. This keeps your competitors from taking over those search results. To make this happen, first, double-check that all your social pages have the right names – no typos or missing punctuation. Also, make sure you’ve got branded URLs for each page. Some social networks, like Google+, might not automatically give you a URL that matches your page name, so you’ll have to grab it yourself. This way, your social media presence can boost your SEO efforts.
Using Keywords Wisely
When you’re fixing up your social media profiles, it’s not just about picking the right words, it’s also about where you put them. These words, called keywords, are crucial for both the search bar on the social media site and for Google searches. Here’s how to make the most of keywords on each of the big social media for SEO:
Using keywords in your Facebook Page name is generally a good idea, as it is likely to earn you a higher rank on Google SERPs. To rank high in Facebook’s search function, you’ll have to make sure your keywords are in your page’s subcategories.
Just like with Facebook, you get a better chance of getting high rankings on Google SERPs if you use keywords in your Twitter name or username. For the sake of Twitter’s search function, you’ll want to make sure your account (and the content therein) is textually relevant to your targeted keywords. It helps to use the keywords in your bio as well.
Again, the use of keywords in your page name is very important. The same is true for LinkedIn’s search function. So, as long as you have your main keywords in your page name, you’re good to go.
YouTube
Keywords in the name of your videos will help you rank well in Google SERPs, while keywords in your channel name will help you rank well in YouTube searches.
Profile Completeness
Almost all social networking sites allow you to describe your business/brand, links to your content, and other pertinent information. It is always advisable to fill out all the applicable fields. The more complete your profile is, the stronger it appears to be to search engines. So, wherever possible, include your brand’s history, mission, awards you’ve received, services you offer, and any other information that’ll help tell search engines and users alike what your brand is all about.
Brand Consistency
Make sure all banners and images in all your social profiles and pages are consistent. They don’t necessarily have to be exactly the same, but they should at least have the same general look and feel. The logo and brand name, of course, should be the same. Other than that, the color schemes, fonts used, and the tone of your content should be consistent across all platforms. This helps ensure that your target audience will automatically recognize your brand even at first glance.
Social Integration
Boosting the rankings of your social media for SEO is a big win. One smart move is linking them from your official website. Surprisingly, many businesses forget to do this. And even when they do link, it’s often not to all of their social profiles. So, make sure every single profile is linked to your website.
This linking becomes even more crucial if your website already has a good reputation. It passes on your site’s authority to your social profiles, giving them more exposure. This could mean more followers, more engagement, and better SEO. Also, consider adding links to your social profiles in emails you send and interlinking all your social profiles with each other.
Updates
Consistency is key in social media for SEO. You don’t have to post every single day, but it’s good to share updates regularly, like two to three times a week. If you go quiet for too long, your followers might think you’ve abandoned the ship, and that’s not good for your social media presence or SEO.
But don’t just push promotions all the time. Even if you post every day, if it’s all sales pitches, your followers might tune out. Instead, keep it friendly and engaging. Share updates that spark conversations among your followers and with you.
And remember, variety is the spice of life on social media. Mix it up with text updates, videos, teasers, links to cool stuff, infographics – the more diverse, the better! It keeps things interesting and keeps your followers engaged, which is great for your SEO game.
Conclusion
When leveraging your social media for SEO, it’s crucial to avoid common pitfalls that can hurt your efforts. Here are some mistakes to steer clear of:
- Use your name or an employee’s name as your social page’s profile name.
- Use your photo as the profile photo for your page.
- Using irrelevant images that don’t relate to your brand or the message you want to convey.
By sidestepping these blunders, your social profiles can become valuable assets for expanding your brand’s reach and strengthening your online presence. With the right approach, you can outshine competitors and keep your target audience engaged with your content and brand.